Saturday, September 11, 2010

Continuity of lineage-who are we related to?

My twin granddaughters are born and thriving, feeding, growing, pooping, crying, so real! I had been thinking about the unbroken lineage we all embody. I am fascinated with the history TV shows saying that the Native Americans in America are descended from 20 people. And I remember on a trip I took to Quezac in the center of the mountains in France, when I asked the Gite/hotel owner, "How long had her family been here?" She said "Always", it seemed inconceivable. But I do realize a very long continuous chain of connection and relationship to my ancestors, not just to my great-grandmothers who came to America with their warring army husbands on this western frontier, but way, way back to the beginnings. We came from Africa, we are all related, this is inconceivable, but profound to me. My relations are everyone. My husband and I were just trying to figure out what percentage these girls are of Chinese, Russian, Irish, French, German, Scots, Spanish- O it is a mish-mash! And these delineations of ethnicity and nationality are just arbitrary, not the absolute truth.

They have been given names that have Celtic foundations, seems very appropriate to me. I took out some books I had collected on Celtic art, history and spirituality. The Celts seemed to have been a curious mix of crazy, killing warriors and a strong connection to the earth and the daily miracles in the simple relationship with life around them. Their names are associated with wisdom and fire. I will tell you the names when I get permission from their parents, because I am not in charge of these precious beings, and permissions can not be given out by me for them. I have to understand that I am a step removed from them, which I am finding is quite hard to grasp emotionally. But they are in a chain of relationships that is truly immutable and I am in that chain with them, all the way back to thousands of years ago.

Now, my granddaughters will express so many aspects of their lineage and their environment. I wonder what affect their birth and first days will have? That is a poignant question for a person who is so tied into EcoBirth. I will hold this question, because I do not have the answer and right now it is too close to me emotionally to get a perspective.

I just want to make an effort to welcome these darlings to a beautiful world and I want to offer help to my son and daughter-in-law with the immediate everyday duties that come with their increased responsibilities. I want to hold the space for them of beauty and love that is hard to see in this new chaos of new life- x2!

This wonderful quote came to me today in my companionable email box and it spoke to me. Thank you Mr RLS!

WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Sep. 11

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.